Ford Capri MK4 concept
Pei Junior Chan
Pei Junior Chan will be continuing his studies at the RCA in the fall, but for his final thesis at Swansea he sought to create a fourth-generation Ford Capri. He owns a second-gen version of the car, but he didn’t just create a new version for that reason.
Chan says he wanted to create a European muscle car, something that was different from the hot hatchbacks that roam the streets today. And the concept has some potential, marked by the success of the well-priced Toyota GT-86 (created in collaboration with Subaru).
The design pays homage to the original Ford Capri, with a long hood, fastback tail and a ducktail spoiler, similar to that found on the first RS model. The bodyside of the car also harkens back to the original, with a continuous line running off the front lamp to the rear, and the DLO shape is also similar to that found on the 1965 Capri.
His MK4 study, however, aims to right some of the wrongs of the original design: the fake side vent ahead of the rear wheel is now a functional element designed to cool the brakes. He also changed the DLO shape at the C-pillar to make rear seat accommodations less claustrophobic for passengers. The gold wheels were a tribute to the classic Ford GT.
Chan’s main inspiration came in the form of the human body, depicted in the many ideations on display. Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci, who reinterpreted animal movements in his work, also inspired him. Working with clay and fiberglass over a five-month period, Chan realized the 1:5 vacuum-molded model he displayed at the show.
Chan also showed sketch work of a Lexus wearable about the size of a BMW 7 Series key fob with a band made of pineapple and mushroom leather, which is more sustainable and cheaper to produce.
